In many ways, Travis Malott is your typical military spouse. This Park City, Utah native has a master\u2019s degree and a resume filled with impressive work experience. Yet, like too many military spouses, he found himself unemployed after a military move.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to our research, the military spouse unemployment rate is four times higher than the national rate. And even when military spouses find jobs, they are more likely to be underemployed than their civilian peers. For employed military spouses, many choose between quitting their jobs to relocate with their service member or living apart to keep their jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Research shows that military spouses are willing to undergo training<\/a> to secure portable in-demand careers. Yet, there is a gap between this talent pool willing to learn Salesforce and an abundance of available jobs in the Salesforce ecosystem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hiring Our Heroes and Salesforce, along with military-ready employers, are working together to change the military spouse unemployment narrative through the Salesforce Fellowship Program<\/a>. The paid, 12-week, hands-on experience prepares fellows for a smooth transition into Salesforce careers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The first cohort made up of 37 veterans and military spouses recently completed their remote fellowships with 21 host companies representing a variety of industries throughout the United States. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Travis was among the first fellows to participate and Hiring Our Heroes followed him throughout his fellowship journey. Each week, he described what he learned, what challenges he faced, and if this fellowship fulfilled the program\u2019s mission of connecting military spouses with employment opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Like many of the Salesforce fellows, Travis doesn\u2019t have a computer science degree or a tech background. <\/p>\n\n\n\n He has a bachelor\u2019s degree in economics with a minor in international studies from San Diego State University. Travis graduated from the University of South Florida with a Masters in global sustainability and a focus on sustainable energy. He studied abroad in China for a semester and completed an internship with the U.S. Department of State.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After moving to Texas for his wife\u2019s Air Force career, Travis pivoted his career away from sustainable energy and into the tech industry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2019, he was selected for the first Microsoft Military Spouse Technology Academy<\/a> cohort in San Antonio. The Microsoft academy is a 22-week training program that prepares military spouses for a tech career, specifically in cloud application development. San Antonio is the second location to have a Microsoft Military Spouse Technology Academy. The academy started as a pilot program in Tacoma, Washington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Travis graduated from the program in March 2020, just as the coronavirus pandemic was starting to impact the U.S. economy. He didn\u2019t receive a job offer after completing this program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A mentor suggested he become a Salesforce administrator.\u00a0In 2018, there were nearly 50,000 job postings for Salesforce administrators with an average salary of $91,000,\u00a0according to research from Salesforce<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Immediately, Travis was exploring Trailhead<\/a>, Salesforce\u2019s on-demand training portal. Soon, he reached Trailhead Ranger status — Travis completed a total of 100 badges and had at least 50,000 points on Trailhead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI found myself prioritizing developing my Salesforce skills, earning badges, and reaching Trailhead Ranger over sending job applications into what felt like a dark abyss,\u201d Travis said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Travis passed his exam and became a Salesforce certified administrator. He applied for the Hiring Our Heroes\u2019 Salesforce Fellowship Program, was selected to participate, and aligned with host company, ICIX.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have been ping-ponging all over the place career-wise because I didn\u2019t know what I wanted to do,\u201d Travis said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, with hands-on experience, Travis is hoping to receive a job offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI made a shift to the Salesforce ecosystem and put all my eggs in that basket,\u201d Travis said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Travis has three goals for his fellowship. First, he wants to obtain skills that will allow him to continue his career despite military moves. Secondly, he wants to gain Salesforce experience that brings value to ICIX<\/a>. Finally, he wants to help employers better understand the military spouse talent pool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI want to represent the military community in a professional, hungry-to-learn way that shines a light on the military spouse underemployment issues we are facing throughout the country,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Salesforce fellowship host companies include nonprofit organizations like Team Red, White & Blue and Operation Gratitude. The list of host companies also includes consulting companies like Capgemini Government Solutions and Slalom Consulting. A handful of host companies, such as Booz Allen Hamilton and Accenture Federal Services, already have established military recruiting programs in their talent acquisition departments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, for other employers, this fellowship is their introduction to hiring veterans and military spouses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Three weeks into his fellowship, Travis volunteers to work on projects. He lends a hand, even when it means learning something new. During one of his initial weeks, Travis studies Einstein Next Best Action and Einstein Analytics. He practices using those products on his projects. Travis learns about wireframing and practices building a wire frame using the Sketch tool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTrailhead is a great way to learn things on my own. But I\u2019m learning so much more when I\u2019m working on real-life projects and running into real-life barriers, which is exactly what I wanted in my fellowship,\u201d Travis said.<\/p>\n\n\n\nA Smooth Transition into a Tech Career<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Prioritizing My Salesforce Training Over Filling Out Job Applications<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Becoming a Salesforce Trailhead Ranger<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
‘I Have Been Ping-Ponging all Over the Place Career-Wise’<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m Working on Real-Life Projects and Running into Real-Life Barriers<\/h4>\n\n\n\n